Plants growth occurs through cell division at their meristems.
However, there exist thousand-years old trees.
Do their meristematic quiescent cells divide at an exceptionally slow rate, or are they rather able to divide more times than an average cell?
Any idea or sugestion?
(Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_stem_cell#Plant_stem_cell_vs._callus says plant stem cells are inmortal, but no sources are provided)
Thank you!
The cell is transformed into a mature cell and specialized to perform a certain function. This may die after a period of time that varies according to the plant life cycle in terms of annual or perennial and the function that it specializes in. The second cell will remain meristematic and then divided to restore the same cycle again.
Ali Alhayany, thank you for your reply.
My point is — for how many cycles will a cell of the quiescent center (if we take a root meristem) remain a stem cell?
Until the plant or the tree dies?
Or does it have an some "expiration date" defined by the number of times it has divided?
You can maintain the culture for years if you do repeated culture at fixed time intervals
Istvan Blazsek, could you please provide more details? (an opinion would also be ok).
I understand there are differences in size and in the overall organism lifespan. But for me it's not very clear how can that translate into the number of times stem cells can divide.
By the way, taking advantage of your expertise, — are growth factors absolutely required for (mammalian) cells proliferation?
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